Sprayer attachment for vacuum cleaners



May 21 929. F. o. HARTMAN SPRAYER ATTACHMENT FOR VACUUM CLEANERS Filed May 11, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR. @0725 Q A /aTZma a,

ATTORNEY May 21, 192%. F. o. HARTMAN 1,713,902

SPRAYER ATTACHMENT FOR VACUUM CLEANERS Filed May 11. 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 1 564 1215 Q/ /aT/ma'm,

9 BY d ATTORNEY. 7

ay 21, 1929. F. o. HARTMAN SPRAYER ATTACHMENT FOR VACUUM CLEANERS Filed May 11, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet T i zmwn g ATTORNEY Patented May 21, 1929.

UNITED STATES 1,713,902 PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK O. HARTMAN, OF MANSFIELD, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE HARTMAN ELEOTRICAL MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF MANSFIELD, OHIO, A CORPORATION 01 OHIO.

SPRAYER ATTACHMENT FOR VACUUM. CLEANERS.

Application filed May 11,

My invention relates broadly to spray apparatus and more particularly to a spray attachment for vacuum cleaners.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide an inexpensive construction of' sprayer attachment for vacuum cleaners employing a reservoir for the liquid to be sprayed and means for controlling the spray of liquid from the nozzle.

Another object of my invention is to provide a construction of fluid sprayer for attachment to a vacuum cleaner wherein a main trigger valve is provided for opening the nozzle outlet on the air line at the time that an auxiliary outlet for the air is closed and an air outlet to the nozzle also closed for controlling the uniform supply of fluid from the nozzle under the force of the vacuum cleaner.

Still another object of my invention resides in the construction of a trigger valve for the reservoir of a fluid spraying apparatus attachment for vacuum cleaners, whereby the pressure within the reservoir may-be normally equalized with atmospheric pressure through the normally opened outlet and the outlet automatically closed when pressure is supplied to the reservoir from a vacuum cleaner system which supplies pressure to an atomizer nozzle connected to the reservoir.

A further object of my invention is to provide a construction of fluid spray apparatus for vacuum cleaners including a reservoir and a valve operating system comprising a main nozzle valve and a pressure supply and release valve with mechanism for opening and closing the pressure supply and release valve, resp.ectively,'at the same time that the main nozzle valve is opened for effecting the spray of liquid under control of air supplied from, a vacuum cleaner.

Other and further objects of my invention reside in the construction of a spray attachment for vacuum cleaners for use in the home, in the spraying of paint, lacquer. insecticide disinfectants, oils or any other fluid which it is desired to scatter over a given area in the form of a thin film.

.My invention will be more clearly understood from the specification hereinafter following by reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 illustrates the .attachment of the sprayer of my invention to a vacuum cleaner; Fig. 2 is a fragmentarycross-sectional view with a screw cap 2 which engages the top of the jar.

1928. Serial No. 276,940.

through the sprayer attachment with the main trigger valve ready for operation; Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view through the sprayer attachment showing the main trigger valve depressed for the spray of fluid; Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view through the sprayer attachmnt taken on line 44 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view partially in end elevation taken through the sprayer attachment on line 5-5 of Fig. 6; Fig. 6 is a lateral cross-sectional view taken through the sprayer attachment on line 6-6 of Fig. 2; Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the nozzle employed in the sprayer attachment of my invention; and Fig. 8 is a plan view of the bracket which I employ in supporting the nozzle with respect to the reservoir. 7

The sprayer attachment for vacuum cleaners has been found to be an extremely handy home labor-saving. device. The usual vacuum cleaner may be employed to create the required pressure of air for distributing a spray of liquid from a reservoir attached to the device: The attachment may be used in lieu of a brush in distributing paint over any desired area or surface.

. Referring to the drawings in more detail, reference character 1 designates a reservoir for liquid which may be a glass jar provided An inlet pipe 3 is provided for conveying pressure from the flexible hose 4 which "connects to the outlet of a vacuum cleaner at 5. The dust bag 7 of the vacuum cleaner is disconnected to permit the sprayer attachment to be connected in a manner to receive pressure of air from the vacuum cleaner.

The vacuum cleaner may be of the standard type which I have indicated generally in Fig. 1 as including the driving mechanism 6 and 95 the handle member 8. The screw cap 2 of the reservoir or jar rovides a support for plate member 10 whic may be secured thereto by rivets or bolts or other suitable means. The

member 10 has an plate support thereof and carries a vertical support 11 providing supportin means for the cylindrical portlon 12 of t e nozzle 9.

'The cylindrical portion 12 of nozzle 9 receives a tubular member 3 to which is con 105 nected a flexible pipe 4 from the vacuum cleaner. The u struck lug 14 provides a brace for the cylindrical portion 12 of the nozzle 9. The trigger valve 17 is mounted in the end of the tubular member 3 and cylindrical portion 110 upstruclr lug 14 in the 12 and is provided with an operating knob 18 which is operative" against the action of the spring 19. A gasket 20 is carried by the trigger valve for normally sealing the top aperture in cylindrical portion 12 against leakage of air from inlet pipe 3. The tr g: ger valve operating rod 17 is cut away at 17 and 17 b and provides a support for the valve 15 having rearwardly extending gripping arms 16. The slide valve 15 is arranged to close a port 30 in the cylindrical portion 12 when the trigger valve is depressed against the action of spring 19 as shown in Fig. 3. A sleeve member 21 is screw threaded into the cylindrical portion 12 and inlet pi e 3 from beneath cap 2. A head 22 is provi ed on the member 21 against which the spring valve 23 is arranged to be seated normally sealing the reservoir 1 with respect to the pressure of air from the vacuum cleaner through inlet pipe 3. The trigger valve carries a positioning rod portion 32 which engages the spring valve 23, removing the valve 23 from its seat in the position shown in Fig. 3 and enabling air to be supplied under pressure in the space above the liquid 40 in reservoir 1. The valve head 23 is carried by a spring strip 24 which is anchored between nuts 26 which serve to secure the tubular member 25 in position.

The tubular member 25 serves to locate the atomizing nozzle 27 in 'a selected position with respect to the nozzle 9. The atomizing nozzle 27 extends downwardly into the reservoir- 1 to a position adjacent the bottom thereof, and the liquid in the nozzle 27 normally seeks the level of the liquid in the reservoir preparatory to the spraying thereof from the nozzle 27 when air is supplied under pressure to the reservoir.

The spring strip 24 carries a valve member 28 which passes through the cap 2 and through the bracket plate 10 terminating in a head 29 having a gasket therebeneath for normally seating against the top of the plate 10. The stem of the valve 28 is secured by means of a laterally extending pin 33 through the webs 32 on the spring strip 24. In Fig. 2 the valve 29 is shown in open position while the valve 23 is closed. In Fig. 3 the valve 23 has been moved to open position, while valve 29 is closed.

The cap of the reservoir is provided with a screw threaded member 34. which is secured to the capl by screw threaded nut 39 for anchoring t e stem 35 in position. The stem 35 is split at its upper extremity, as indicated at 37 and the interior thereof is screw threaded to receive the needle valve 38 having needle valve 36 for varying the efiective area of the bore in stem 35.

It will be observed that there are five in dependent valves in the sprayer attachment. The main trigger controls the operation of four of the valves. The fifth valve is the outlet 35 controlled by needle valve 36. The

main trigger valve opens the nozzle outlet 9 on the air line and closes the auxiliary outlet 30 just below the nozzle 9. By the same movement of the trigger the outlet to the reservoir at 23 is opened and the outlet from the reservoir through valve 29 is closed. By this arrangement pressure is supplied against the top surface at 40 at the same time that forced air moves through nozzle 9 spraying liquid from the atomizing nozzle 27, which liquid is normally forced up in the top 27 by pressure on the top of the surface of the liquid 40. In order to prevent spilling of the fluid at the top of the atomizing nozzle 27 when the main trigger valve is closed, it is necessary to stop any additional air from the hose line passing into the glassj ar and also to quickly release the pressure that is in the glass jar. I do this by operating four valves with the main valve stem, that is the releasing of the pressure within the reservoir by equalizing the reservoir pressure with the atmospheric pressure by the opening of valve 29 at the time that valve 23 is closed against seat 22. In this way there is no tendency of the continued forcing of liquid up through the top leading to the atomizing nozzle 27 after the trigger valve has been released.

The spraying apparatus of my invention has been found to be extremely practical in its construction, and while I have described my invention in certain preferred embodiments, I desire that it be understood that modifications may be made and that no limitations upon my invention are intended other than are imposed by the scope of the appended claims. 7

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is as follows:

1. In a sprayer attachment for vacuum cleaners, a reservoir, a top engaging said reservoir, a pressure supply line supported by the top of said reservoir and terminating in a sprayer nozzle in a position substantially central of said top, an atomizing nozzle extending from said reservoir through said top to a position adjacent said sprayer nozzle, a spring valve mounted beneath said top, a pressure inlet between said pressure supply line'and said top, said pressure inlet being normally closed by said spring valve, a trigger member extending through said pressure supply line and throu b said pressure inlet and engaging said spring valve, said trigger member carrying a slide valve thereon normally closing said pressure supply line from said sprayer nozzle, and a pressure release valve controlled by the o eration of said spring valve for equalizing t e pressure within said reservoir with atmospheric pressure whenthe pressure inlet from said pipe line to said reservoir is closed.

2. In a sprayer attachment for vacuum cleaners, a reservoir, a top for said reservoir,

u pressure supply line supported by snid top end terminuting in e sprayer nozzle disposed centrelly over said top, en ntornizer nozzle extending upwardly through said topfrom suid reservoir to at position edjecent seid spreyer nozzle, u spring valve positioned loeneutlr seid top, u pressure inlet extending from snid top to seid pressure supply line, snid spring velve normally closing said pressure inlet, e pressure releese velve curried by seid velve strueture for equalizing the pressure within said reservoir with etrnosplierie pressure when said pressure inlet is closed, trigger velve extending through said pressure supply line end through said pressure inlet for engaging one end of said spring valve, a slide valve curried by said trigger valve end normally I closing suid sprayer nozzle, said slide velve operating to connect suid sprayer nozzle With said pressure supply line when said trigger is depressed for udinitting air under pressure to said reservoir simultaneously with the closing of said pressure release valve.

In testimony whereof ll efix my signeture FRANK 0, nmrnnn. 

